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Tecmo Madison XIII Powered by Hyperkin
By Chris Vogt
Tecmo Writer
MADISON, Wisc. — New director. New venue. Same result.
In its inaugural year under fresh management, Tecmo Madison XIII on April 8, 2017, provided its usual spectacle of 8-bit magic. Amidst the shoulder-to-shoulder spectator crowd in a packed High Noon Saloon, joeygats (Joseph Chiltowsky) marched through a gauntlet of 292 competitors — including Regulator (Kyle Miller) in the finale — to capture his second Tecmo Super Bowl world championship title in a row.
Joeygats (left) & Regulator - Tecmo XIII Finalists
BY THE NUMBERS
Competitors: 292 Attendees: 753 Live Stream Viewers: 161,076 -- Twitch: 74,551 - Facebook Live: 86,525
"Tecmo Madison XIII was a success in every measurable way: from the size of the crowd, quality of the playing field, record number of spectators, unbelievable live stream size, awesome attitudes all around and our amazing title sponsor, Hyperkin.," said director and Florida native Dave Murray, who took over Tecmo Madison from tournament creators Josh and Chet Holzbauer.
"We knew taking over from the kings of Madison in Josh and Chet that there was a risk of a drop-off in the participation of folks who felt this was the death of an era, but the response to keeping it alive was humbling and heartwarming," Murray added. "We knew this community had a love for the game and the tournament that could keep this thing going and our record-breaking registrations and wait list attest to that.
"It was a gamble on our part, but the community gambled with us and it all worked out great." Tecmo Madison grew to a record number of participants across the two-day event at approximately 750 and a record number of live stream viewers at 150,000-plus.
Having major sponsors in Hyperkin and Koei Tecmo helped solidify the event as a major tournament in the esports growing scene. "The event blew away every metric we projected," Murray said, noting how successful the Friday Night Retro gig was the evening before that consisted of an NBA Jam and NHL 95 tournament. "Obviously with all of these people coming in from all over, they were happy to have an opportunity to hang out and play an additional day and that was really great to see," Murray added.
"Making this a multi-day event is something that we'll definitely be continuing in future tournaments. "The venue was fantastic," Murray explained of High Noon Saloon, a two-tier tavern with ample viewing spots. "Having everyone in the same room really ramped up the excitement, and the balcony provided a great vantage point for spectators."
Murray said while the venue provided an ideal spot to host the weekend-long event, fitting the 750 attendees comfortably throughout the two days became a noticeable concern. "Josh and Chet had it dialed in after having it at the Badger Bowl for consecutive years, so there were, of course, expected hiccups in taking over and moving it — notably space," Murray explained. "But, again, the community was incredible to deal with some tight quarters for opening rounds and it was amazing how many stuck around."
Tecmo Madison XIII
LEADING UP TO THE BIG DANCE
The road to making Tecmo Madison XIII possible consisted of leaps and bounds — an entire year of planning, plotting, traveling, and gathering 70+ CRT televisions. There were months of development on a new website that included a backend scoring system and real-time brackets and stats as the tournament was taking place — a Tecmo Madison first.
There were months of courting potential sponsors to provide additional prizing opportunities (like a meet and greet with Bo Jackson in Chicago) and to help defer some of the additional costs of moving to a new venue. Hyperkin supported the event in many ways, especially by providing the system hardware. Tecmo Madison used the Hyperkin RetroN 1 system throughout the day. This helped alleviate a big technical hiccup the event typically experienced -- having to find, tune and rebuild old Nintendo Entertainment Systems, which were released in 1985. "Hyperkin saved the day in a lot of ways. We wanted to make a big leap this year with our tournament. To do that, we needed to double the amount of hardware in use. Without Hyperkin's RetroN 1 support, 292 players don't happen," states Murray.
There were months of creating marketing assets and deploying them to build the live stream audience to give a larger platform to our players and let the online Tecmo community see what our players are up to.
"First and foremost, Josh and Chet built this thing, so this couldn't have happened without them having started this crazy tournament and then being willing to let some guys from Florida take it over," Murray said. "What made it a success was a ton of hard work, and then a very willing community to join us. It took a game that still resonates to even get sponsors to answer our calls. "It took the faith of the venue who had never even heard of video game competitions."
COMPETITION OUT THE SEAMS
Back to back undefeated runs in any sport is beyond statistical measure. He has been hit with Tecmo lightning twice at this point.
For Chiltowsky, also known as JoeyGats, to win back to back Tecmo Super Bowl world championship titles is a lightning-strike situation, Murray stated. But what's even more striking? Chet Holzbauer did it in 2012 and 2013. "The competition at Madison this year was fierce," Murray said "All-time high? That is tough to say. We are missing some heavyweights these days, but I think our field is keeping pace with being the biggest and hardest tournament there is."
"There is always room for more top players," Murray added. "Any given Sunday, as they say." While Chiltowsky was deemed as a favorite to go far at Tecmo Madison XIII, the thought of him not losing a single game was logistically doubtful. Chiltowsky, now, has not lost a single Tecmo Madison game in two years.
Joeygats (right) - Tecmo Madison XIII Champion[/caption]
"A lot of those in the know rolled their eyes collectively when people knew I had JoeyGats winning it all again," Murray said. "Having a front row seat to him killing everyone last year, it was not unrealistic for him to do it again in my opinion." "But then watching Regulator (Kyle Miller) at our Tundra Bowl IV qualifier in Green Bay, I figured we would have a Gats/Regulator final and was thinking Regulator would win," Murray added. "JoeyGats going undefeated twice is something I don’t think will ever happen again," Murray continued. "Back to back undefeated runs in any sport is beyond statistical measure. He has been hit with Tecmo lightning twice at this point." Miller credited Chiltowsky on his performance. "That run was sick," Miller said. "That's why he's the best. Only the best can overcome the different hands Tecmo deals you. The best can overcome bad luck. That's why he wins. "I plan on changing this, of course," Miller poked. Chiltowsky played in a 2016 title rematch with Aaron "The Kid" Toner, and he went through Rico Rieck, Louis Buennagel and Matt Vogt to eventually get to Kyle Miller in the title game. "The whole thing was incredible," Chiltowsky said. "I still can't believe I came out on top with that field, especially since leading up to it I was getting demolished in practice hotel games prior and just not playing good." While this year didn’t have a Cinderella like last year in Aaron Toner reaching the finals against Chiltowsky, budding Tecmoers such as Russel Sloan (Neerrm), Isaac Wright (DisastaMasta) and Jim Persins (JimSocks) took progressions in their top-8 placements. "Having Neerrm place third was great for the community," Murray said. "He is such a big part of the online Tecmo scene and retrogaming, that it was fun to seem him take the world’s best to the ropes." Added Murray: "There is always room for the next 'The Kid' (Toner) to knock off Mort and Regulator. Surprises will always happen and are always welcome."
TAKING A MEMORABLE NOTE
Those who typically stick around to soak up the entire tournament experience are there for the memories made. And that's no exception for Kyle Miller. "I loved the vibe," Miller said. "While it was a little crowded at first, the outdoor patio area was a great spot for socializing. I did more talking this year to new and old friends than any other." Murray concurred. "All these people who rarely see each other come together and pick right up where they left off and that is awesome," Murray said. "Also seeing new players get welcomed in, watching them make connections and friendships that they'll take with them after the tournament. "Seeing the community embrace the idea of Josh and Chet passing the torch to a new generation running the tournament, yet still agreeing to be a part of it is priceless." Chiltowsky said he wants to continue to be a part of Tecmo Madison. "Even though it causes me so much stress and I get super ill the night before, I'll keep playing, absolutely," Chiltowsky explained. "Because not all stress is bad stress. Plus, I get to spend time with a lot of people I consider good friends." Chiltowsky credits some of those fellow Tecmoers for his success the last two tournaments. "Dave (Murray) is the reason any of my Madison wins are even possible. Without him I wouldn't have made it these last two years," Chiltowsky said. "I owe Dave all the thanks in the world, along with Mort (Francis Buennagel), Lou (Louis Buennagel) and my main key to winning, Hank the Tank (Hank De Wild). "Winning Madison really changed my life and I couldn't have done any of it without the support of the community," Chiltowsky added.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR TECMO MADISON?
Tecmo Madison XIII is only the beginning. "We never want to lose sight of the tight-knit origins of the Madison event," Murray said. "But due to the great work of Josh and Chet this is now the de facto world championships. As such we have more and more people wanting to participate, and we will continue to grow responsibly to address that demand. "That growth might be via multiple events across other states, or with growing the overall size of the Madison event," Murray stated. Tecmo Madison has an event lined up in Dallas in August. "If there is Tecmo in Madison, I will come," said Miller, who will be traveling with Chiltowski to a Tecmo Madison satellite tournament in Dallas. "It's a once a year commitment and one hell of a time. "Where else in the world can you drink, socialize and play a video game all day?" Miller added. "I pray for many more strong years to come." While High Noon Saloon allowed tournament organizers to have participants in one room, which was the goal Murray said, it made for some cramped quarters in the first round. "A larger venue is definitely in our future," he said. Seeding and bracketing with nearly 30-percent of players being first-timers also highlighted some challenges. "We are already working to improve bracketing so that the pace of the tournament can speed up," Murray said. "On that same note, with a brand new scorekeeping system we were slowed down slightly, but that was its maiden voyage. Next year, it will work to its full potential with trained scorekeepers." But according to Miller, it's not about the score. "Playing at live Tecmo tournaments never gets old. I love talking to guys about life and Tecmo," Miller said. "Though if Tecmo was an esport, I would have a new full-time job. I'm glad companies like Hyperkin are involved now. Hopefully, they will start sponsoring us players. I would love a Regulator jersey!" On Murray's watch, that's not out of the question.
Stream Stats
Twitch
Twitch stats - taken from SocialBlade.com[/caption] Facebook Live
Originally posted on TecmoMadison.com

Tecmo Madison XIII Powered by Hyperkin
By Chris Vogt
Tecmo Writer
MADISON, Wisc. — New director. New venue. Same result.
In its inaugural year under fresh management, Tecmo Madison XIII on April 8, 2017, provided its usual spectacle of 8-bit magic. Amidst the shoulder-to-shoulder spectator crowd in a packed High Noon Saloon, joeygats (Joseph Chiltowsky) marched through a gauntlet of 292 competitors — including Regulator (Kyle Miller) in the finale — to capture his second Tecmo Super Bowl world championship title in a row.
Joeygats (left) & Regulator - Tecmo XIII Finalists
BY THE NUMBERS
Competitors: 292 Attendees: 753 Live Stream Viewers: 161,076 -- Twitch: 74,551 - Facebook Live: 86,525
"Tecmo Madison XIII was a success in every measurable way: from the size of the crowd, quality of the playing field, record number of spectators, unbelievable live stream size, awesome attitudes all around and our amazing title sponsor, Hyperkin.," said director and Florida native Dave Murray, who took over Tecmo Madison from tournament creators Josh and Chet Holzbauer.
"We knew taking over from the kings of Madison in Josh and Chet that there was a risk of a drop-off in the participation of folks who felt this was the death of an era, but the response to keeping it alive was humbling and heartwarming," Murray added. "We knew this community had a love for the game and the tournament that could keep this thing going and our record-breaking registrations and wait list attest to that.
"It was a gamble on our part, but the community gambled with us and it all worked out great." Tecmo Madison grew to a record number of participants across the two-day event at approximately 750 and a record number of live stream viewers at 150,000-plus.
Having major sponsors in Hyperkin and Koei Tecmo helped solidify the event as a major tournament in the esports growing scene. "The event blew away every metric we projected," Murray said, noting how successful the Friday Night Retro gig was the evening before that consisted of an NBA Jam and NHL 95 tournament. "Obviously with all of these people coming in from all over, they were happy to have an opportunity to hang out and play an additional day and that was really great to see," Murray added.
"Making this a multi-day event is something that we'll definitely be continuing in future tournaments. "The venue was fantastic," Murray explained of High Noon Saloon, a two-tier tavern with ample viewing spots. "Having everyone in the same room really ramped up the excitement, and the balcony provided a great vantage point for spectators."
Murray said while the venue provided an ideal spot to host the weekend-long event, fitting the 750 attendees comfortably throughout the two days became a noticeable concern. "Josh and Chet had it dialed in after having it at the Badger Bowl for consecutive years, so there were, of course, expected hiccups in taking over and moving it — notably space," Murray explained. "But, again, the community was incredible to deal with some tight quarters for opening rounds and it was amazing how many stuck around."
Tecmo Madison XIII
LEADING UP TO THE BIG DANCE
The road to making Tecmo Madison XIII possible consisted of leaps and bounds — an entire year of planning, plotting, traveling, and gathering 70+ CRT televisions. There were months of development on a new website that included a backend scoring system and real-time brackets and stats as the tournament was taking place — a Tecmo Madison first.
There were months of courting potential sponsors to provide additional prizing opportunities (like a meet and greet with Bo Jackson in Chicago) and to help defer some of the additional costs of moving to a new venue. Hyperkin supported the event in many ways, especially by providing the system hardware. Tecmo Madison used the Hyperkin RetroN 1 system throughout the day. This helped alleviate a big technical hiccup the event typically experienced -- having to find, tune and rebuild old Nintendo Entertainment Systems, which were released in 1985. "Hyperkin saved the day in a lot of ways. We wanted to make a big leap this year with our tournament. To do that, we needed to double the amount of hardware in use. Without Hyperkin's RetroN 1 support, 292 players don't happen," states Murray.
There were months of creating marketing assets and deploying them to build the live stream audience to give a larger platform to our players and let the online Tecmo community see what our players are up to.
"First and foremost, Josh and Chet built this thing, so this couldn't have happened without them having started this crazy tournament and then being willing to let some guys from Florida take it over," Murray said. "What made it a success was a ton of hard work, and then a very willing community to join us. It took a game that still resonates to even get sponsors to answer our calls. "It took the faith of the venue who had never even heard of video game competitions."
COMPETITION OUT THE SEAMS
Back to back undefeated runs in any sport is beyond statistical measure. He has been hit with Tecmo lightning twice at this point.
For Chiltowsky, also known as JoeyGats, to win back to back Tecmo Super Bowl world championship titles is a lightning-strike situation, Murray stated. But what's even more striking? Chet Holzbauer did it in 2012 and 2013. "The competition at Madison this year was fierce," Murray said "All-time high? That is tough to say. We are missing some heavyweights these days, but I think our field is keeping pace with being the biggest and hardest tournament there is."
"There is always room for more top players," Murray added. "Any given Sunday, as they say." While Chiltowsky was deemed as a favorite to go far at Tecmo Madison XIII, the thought of him not losing a single game was logistically doubtful. Chiltowsky, now, has not lost a single Tecmo Madison game in two years.
Joeygats (right) - Tecmo Madison XIII Champion[/caption]
"A lot of those in the know rolled their eyes collectively when people knew I had JoeyGats winning it all again," Murray said. "Having a front row seat to him killing everyone last year, it was not unrealistic for him to do it again in my opinion." "But then watching Regulator (Kyle Miller) at our Tundra Bowl IV qualifier in Green Bay, I figured we would have a Gats/Regulator final and was thinking Regulator would win," Murray added. "JoeyGats going undefeated twice is something I don’t think will ever happen again," Murray continued. "Back to back undefeated runs in any sport is beyond statistical measure. He has been hit with Tecmo lightning twice at this point." Miller credited Chiltowsky on his performance. "That run was sick," Miller said. "That's why he's the best. Only the best can overcome the different hands Tecmo deals you. The best can overcome bad luck. That's why he wins. "I plan on changing this, of course," Miller poked. Chiltowsky played in a 2016 title rematch with Aaron "The Kid" Toner, and he went through Rico Rieck, Louis Buennagel and Matt Vogt to eventually get to Kyle Miller in the title game. "The whole thing was incredible," Chiltowsky said. "I still can't believe I came out on top with that field, especially since leading up to it I was getting demolished in practice hotel games prior and just not playing good." While this year didn’t have a Cinderella like last year in Aaron Toner reaching the finals against Chiltowsky, budding Tecmoers such as Russel Sloan (Neerrm), Isaac Wright (DisastaMasta) and Jim Persins (JimSocks) took progressions in their top-8 placements. "Having Neerrm place third was great for the community," Murray said. "He is such a big part of the online Tecmo scene and retrogaming, that it was fun to seem him take the world’s best to the ropes." Added Murray: "There is always room for the next 'The Kid' (Toner) to knock off Mort and Regulator. Surprises will always happen and are always welcome."
TAKING A MEMORABLE NOTE
Those who typically stick around to soak up the entire tournament experience are there for the memories made. And that's no exception for Kyle Miller. "I loved the vibe," Miller said. "While it was a little crowded at first, the outdoor patio area was a great spot for socializing. I did more talking this year to new and old friends than any other." Murray concurred. "All these people who rarely see each other come together and pick right up where they left off and that is awesome," Murray said. "Also seeing new players get welcomed in, watching them make connections and friendships that they'll take with them after the tournament. "Seeing the community embrace the idea of Josh and Chet passing the torch to a new generation running the tournament, yet still agreeing to be a part of it is priceless." Chiltowsky said he wants to continue to be a part of Tecmo Madison. "Even though it causes me so much stress and I get super ill the night before, I'll keep playing, absolutely," Chiltowsky explained. "Because not all stress is bad stress. Plus, I get to spend time with a lot of people I consider good friends." Chiltowsky credits some of those fellow Tecmoers for his success the last two tournaments. "Dave (Murray) is the reason any of my Madison wins are even possible. Without him I wouldn't have made it these last two years," Chiltowsky said. "I owe Dave all the thanks in the world, along with Mort (Francis Buennagel), Lou (Louis Buennagel) and my main key to winning, Hank the Tank (Hank De Wild). "Winning Madison really changed my life and I couldn't have done any of it without the support of the community," Chiltowsky added.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR TECMO MADISON?
Tecmo Madison XIII is only the beginning. "We never want to lose sight of the tight-knit origins of the Madison event," Murray said. "But due to the great work of Josh and Chet this is now the de facto world championships. As such we have more and more people wanting to participate, and we will continue to grow responsibly to address that demand. "That growth might be via multiple events across other states, or with growing the overall size of the Madison event," Murray stated. Tecmo Madison has an event lined up in Dallas in August. "If there is Tecmo in Madison, I will come," said Miller, who will be traveling with Chiltowski to a Tecmo Madison satellite tournament in Dallas. "It's a once a year commitment and one hell of a time. "Where else in the world can you drink, socialize and play a video game all day?" Miller added. "I pray for many more strong years to come." While High Noon Saloon allowed tournament organizers to have participants in one room, which was the goal Murray said, it made for some cramped quarters in the first round. "A larger venue is definitely in our future," he said. Seeding and bracketing with nearly 30-percent of players being first-timers also highlighted some challenges. "We are already working to improve bracketing so that the pace of the tournament can speed up," Murray said. "On that same note, with a brand new scorekeeping system we were slowed down slightly, but that was its maiden voyage. Next year, it will work to its full potential with trained scorekeepers." But according to Miller, it's not about the score. "Playing at live Tecmo tournaments never gets old. I love talking to guys about life and Tecmo," Miller said. "Though if Tecmo was an esport, I would have a new full-time job. I'm glad companies like Hyperkin are involved now. Hopefully, they will start sponsoring us players. I would love a Regulator jersey!" On Murray's watch, that's not out of the question.
Stream Stats
Twitch
Twitch stats - taken from SocialBlade.com[/caption] Facebook Live
Originally posted on TecmoMadison.com
View full article

For the last several years we've seen a renascence of Tecmo Super Bowl in the form of tournaments throughout the country. While much of this is attributed to the internet itself, a lot of credit needs to go to the group of guys who started hosting Tecmo Super Bowl tournaments in Madison, WI back in 2006. The brainchild of the Holzbauer brothers, the tournament has grown from 20 to 176 participants in 2012 and in the process inspired numerous tournaments throughout the U.S. The event gained enough momentum to attract the attention of NFL Films which will be debuting their documentary of Tecmo Bowl and the tournament after Monday Night Football on October 22, 2012. The main story of "NFL FILMS PRESENTS: Tecmo Bowl" revolves around profiling four of the favorites to win the March, 2012 tournament: "Mort", Sobhi, The Vogt Brothers, and tournament co-founder Chet. Sprinkled into the mix is a series of former and current NFL players reminiscing about their days playing Tecmo, including former Tecmo Super Bowl stars Emmitt Smith and Christian Okoye. One of the most famous players from the game, Christian fittingly is the NFL player featured and serves to illustrate just how far NFL video game have grown in popularity over the years. While many current players will actively lobby EA Sports for higher ratings in Madden, Okoye has only a passing knowledge of the game from fans throughout the years than from actually playing it. As you might expect, Bo Jackson makes an appearance on the show though only in the form of "Tecmo Bo." (BTW, the most legendary video game athlete of all time, despite being asked weekly about the game, has claimed never to have played it.) The overall production is exactly what you would expect from NFL Films, the booming voice of
narrator Robb Webb starting the show"A video game from a bygone era...still alive in the Mid-West....it's Tecmo Super Bowl." It's this classic compelling NFL Films story telling that takes us through the tournament as the favorites are eliminated one by one up to the championship. The group of people I watched the piece with proved that you don't have to know a single thing about Tecmo Super Bowl to find this a fun and entertaining walk through of one of the greatest video football games ever created. The crowd favorite proved to be "Mort" with his genuine enthusiasm in competing in Tecmo tournaments. The Tecmo enthusiast will be impressed by the amount of research and detail that went into this production. Most stories of Tecmo Super Bowl, while glowing tributes, are filled with inaccuracies. While Tecmo might have missed the mark when trying to re-release the game as Tecmo Bowl Throwback to the X-box and Playstation, NFL Films managed to exceed my expectations in telling the story of an 8-bit football game from 1991. If you've ever played Tecmo Super Bowl before, you're not only going to love this story, you're probably going to try and find that old NES and immediately fire up a game. (Don't worry, you can play this online these days) The show will air 10/22/12 @ 12:30 a.m. EST (ESPN 2) 10/24/12 @ 2:30 p.m. EST (ESPN 2) 10/26/12 @ 4:30 p.m. EST (NFL Network) 10/27/12 @ 1:30 p.m. EST (NFL Network) Click here to view the page

The main story of "NFL FILMS PRESENTS: Tecmo Bowl" revolves around profiling four of the favorites to win the March, 2012 tournament: "Mort", Sobhi, The Vogt Brothers, and tournament co-founder Chet. Sprinkled into the mix is a series of former and current NFL players reminiscing about their days playing Tecmo, including former Tecmo Super Bowl stars Emmitt Smith and Christian Okoye. One of the most famous players from the game, Christian fittingly is the NFL player featured and serves to illustrate just how far NFL video game have grown in popularity over the years. While many current players will actively lobby EA Sports for higher ratings in Madden, Okoye has only a passing knowledge of the game from fans throughout the years than from actually playing it. As you might expect, Bo Jackson makes an appearance on the show though only in the form of "Tecmo Bo." (BTW, the most legendary video game athlete of all time, despite being asked weekly about the game, has claimed never to have played it.) The overall production is exactly what you would expect from NFL Films, the booming voice of
narrator Robb Webb starting the show"A video game from a bygone era...still alive in the Mid-West....it's Tecmo Super Bowl." It's this classic compelling NFL Films story telling that takes us through the tournament as the favorites are eliminated one by one up to the championship. The group of people I watched the piece with proved that you don't have to know a single thing about Tecmo Super Bowl to find this a fun and entertaining walk through of one of the greatest video football games ever created. The crowd favorite proved to be "Mort" with his genuine enthusiasm in competing in Tecmo tournaments. The Tecmo enthusiast will be impressed by the amount of research and detail that went into this production. Most stories of Tecmo Super Bowl, while glowing tributes, are filled with inaccuracies. While Tecmo might have missed the mark when trying to re-release the game as Tecmo Bowl Throwback to the X-box and Playstation, NFL Films managed to exceed my expectations in telling the story of an 8-bit football game from 1991. If you've ever played Tecmo Super Bowl before, you're not only going to love this story, you're probably going to try and find that old NES and immediately fire up a game. (Don't worry, you can play this online these days) The show will air 10/22/12 @ 12:30 a.m. EST (ESPN 2) 10/24/12 @ 2:30 p.m. EST (ESPN 2) 10/26/12 @ 4:30 p.m. EST (NFL Network) 10/27/12 @ 1:30 p.m. EST (NFL Network)